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Bucket List of a Traveloholic
While her B-School batch mates are busy scrambling for top jobs and grades, a restless Sarika dreams of putting on her running shoes and having all the pages of her passport stamped by the age of thirty.
What follows is a frenzied quest of not just collecting stamps but ticking off items off her ever-expanding bucket list: From learning the local language in Spain to an alcohol trail through Greece; from a tryst with Shakespeare and Jane Austen in the United Kingdom to an encounter with the Vampire in Romania; from straddling the border between two countries in the Middle East to a road trip through Morocco to the Sahara; each experience bringing her just a little closer to reaching that final destination on her passport.
A journey of falling in love with globetrotting--this one promises to be one of the best roller-coaster reading experiences you will have this year.
What follows is a frenzied quest of not just collecting stamps but ticking off items off her ever-expanding bucket list: From learning the local language in Spain to an alcohol trail through Greece; from a tryst with Shakespeare and Jane Austen in the United Kingdom to an encounter with the Vampire in Romania; from straddling the border between two countries in the Middle East to a road trip through Morocco to the Sahara; each experience bringing her just a little closer to reaching that final destination on her passport.
A journey of falling in love with globetrotting--this one promises to be one of the best roller-coaster reading experiences you will have this year.
- GenresTravelNonfiction
242 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 22, 2014
Being a traveloholic as well as a reader, this book was an excellent read. It made me yearn to go off to the places mentioned and feel the experiences. Let’s just say, there will be a lot more stamps on my passport because of this book!
The BEST chapter according to me was the one where Sarika and her sister go through the literary trail through the London. It was around midnight when I was reading this, and seriously, it took all the willpower in the world to not wake up my sister, ask her to pack her bags and leave for UK on the next flight.
When I came to know about the college where the filming of the great hall scene was filmed in London, I just wanted to bang my head on the walls and cry…IF ONLY i had known this before, I would not have wasted my time visiting touristy spots and would have at least visited it once….I did not receive the letter at 11, that was bad enough…now I missed going to the film set as well ;’(….*runs to make a new bucket list and adds visit to London in the fist line*
(Read the complete review here: http://thereandtheir.wordpress.com/20...)
The BEST chapter according to me was the one where Sarika and her sister go through the literary trail through the London. It was around midnight when I was reading this, and seriously, it took all the willpower in the world to not wake up my sister, ask her to pack her bags and leave for UK on the next flight.
When I came to know about the college where the filming of the great hall scene was filmed in London, I just wanted to bang my head on the walls and cry…IF ONLY i had known this before, I would not have wasted my time visiting touristy spots and would have at least visited it once….I did not receive the letter at 11, that was bad enough…now I missed going to the film set as well ;’(….*runs to make a new bucket list and adds visit to London in the fist line*
(Read the complete review here: http://thereandtheir.wordpress.com/20...)
September 26, 2015
It's been a while since I loved a book so much. I read this book with zero expectations and read it on a whim just because I found the blurb interesting. Sarika has checked some items off her bucket list and these items are part of my bucket list. This is probably the main reason for liking the book. I love to travel and visit new places and I got to visit many countries virtually through her book. You will definitely like this book if you love traveling. The book was written very well. I loved her light hearted humor and the way she explored different countries. My favorite has to be the literary trail in UK. I loved this book so much that I could not put it down and finished it in less than 2 days. Will watch out for more books by this author.
June 8, 2014
Its a happy travel book which narrates the nuances experiences of the author. At places the use of synonyms was tad bit overdone. I loved the Israel-Jordan trip - the feeling is expressed brilliantly. Khajurao trip is also very well presented. You get to know the ordeals of travelling in your on country and it is always not as rosy as it looks.
The Romania trip was the one that i liked the least.
The rating would have surely been higher if the pictures were colored. How can you have black and white pictures in a travel book, I fail to understand. Disappointing! And the transitions from one trip to the next could have been smoother!
Thumbs up for the writing though!
The Romania trip was the one that i liked the least.
The rating would have surely been higher if the pictures were colored. How can you have black and white pictures in a travel book, I fail to understand. Disappointing! And the transitions from one trip to the next could have been smoother!
Thumbs up for the writing though!
May 16, 2020
What a fun read! Sarika beautifully weaves her personal journey through her travels and it grabs you from the get go.
I especially liked her accounts of Israel and Florence. And the descriptions were so vivid that I felt that I was there in those places travelling with her.
I recommend this book for anyone who has travel and wanderlust in their soul. This book will make you want to get on the next plane and set out on your own personal adventure.
I especially liked her accounts of Israel and Florence. And the descriptions were so vivid that I felt that I was there in those places travelling with her.
I recommend this book for anyone who has travel and wanderlust in their soul. This book will make you want to get on the next plane and set out on your own personal adventure.
December 9, 2014
This is an amazing book. Being a traveloholic myself, this book has become a stepping stone of my life. I have always wanted to be a travel writer and this book has evidence that even a traveller can make it big in life.
The descriptions are picturesque and gives a vignette of the amazing places Ms.Pandit has been to.
I first encountered the book in a landmark store and I bought it without second thoughts. Reading the first page turned me into a Sarika Pandit fan. I highly recommend this book to all those who have been bitten by the travel bug and I promise that even those who are not will turn into a travelohlic by time you turn the last leaf of the book.
I thank Sarika Pandit for writing an amazing book that acts like a mentor for my life. Thank you so much.
The descriptions are picturesque and gives a vignette of the amazing places Ms.Pandit has been to.
I first encountered the book in a landmark store and I bought it without second thoughts. Reading the first page turned me into a Sarika Pandit fan. I highly recommend this book to all those who have been bitten by the travel bug and I promise that even those who are not will turn into a travelohlic by time you turn the last leaf of the book.
I thank Sarika Pandit for writing an amazing book that acts like a mentor for my life. Thank you so much.
December 30, 2017
The book is a 3.5 star for me, and only because I wasn't greatly impressed with the author's style of traveling - as a self-confessed unnecessary-travel-snob, I believe that you'll lose out on important experiences when you travel in groups or with operators. The author has listed quite a few of those, especially the tires one could go to Europe.
That said, this is a well-written book with good literature, enough to raise the travelust in anyone.
That said, this is a well-written book with good literature, enough to raise the travelust in anyone.
October 15, 2018
Author has given her travel experiences in different parts of the world in a way that in a way that you feel connected (may be if you are a travel freak) while reading.
Interesting book.
Interesting book.
February 15, 2019
Nice book.
February 27, 2020
Meh.
couldn’t go beyond page no. 70 - got bored to death while reading this one.
This book is definitely aimed towards first time readers.
Sarika tries to be quirky and humorous throughout the book ( or shall i say throughout the 70 pages that I have read ) but all her attempts fall flat.
The experiences described in this book and the way of writing lacks a depth. The author seems to be pretty well read but she is unable to write a narrative that seems engaging, mesmerising and spell binding ( as these are the main criteria for writing a book based on travel adventures since you need to be transported to that particular place in your mind ).
So my advice for you - skip this one.
couldn’t go beyond page no. 70 - got bored to death while reading this one.
This book is definitely aimed towards first time readers.
Sarika tries to be quirky and humorous throughout the book ( or shall i say throughout the 70 pages that I have read ) but all her attempts fall flat.
The experiences described in this book and the way of writing lacks a depth. The author seems to be pretty well read but she is unable to write a narrative that seems engaging, mesmerising and spell binding ( as these are the main criteria for writing a book based on travel adventures since you need to be transported to that particular place in your mind ).
So my advice for you - skip this one.
December 6, 2022
Simply speechless!
I never realized my passion and love for traveling until I read this book jeez.
The discription of her journey from an average college student to traveling the whole world has convinced me to be awe-struck.
The drawback which persisted me from rating it a five is the fact the writing didn't mention the way she managed her finance. I was constantly stuck thinking that besides depleting bank balance as well as while changing jobs she managed to travel.
Rest of the book was very passionate and insipring. It was worth the read.
I never realized my passion and love for traveling until I read this book jeez.
The discription of her journey from an average college student to traveling the whole world has convinced me to be awe-struck.
The drawback which persisted me from rating it a five is the fact the writing didn't mention the way she managed her finance. I was constantly stuck thinking that besides depleting bank balance as well as while changing jobs she managed to travel.
Rest of the book was very passionate and insipring. It was worth the read.
May 16, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. Finished it in one go. This book awakens the traveller in you and makes you want to have adventures of your own.
It's well written, funny, doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a light read and very enjoyable.
What struck me about the author was not only her love for travel but also her lack of fussiness and her openness to adventure. We Indians tend to be fussy travellers but this author challenges that notion.
Very inspiring. Do read.
It's well written, funny, doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a light read and very enjoyable.
What struck me about the author was not only her love for travel but also her lack of fussiness and her openness to adventure. We Indians tend to be fussy travellers but this author challenges that notion.
Very inspiring. Do read.
October 14, 2021
Very lively and fun!!
August 2, 2023
I loved this book. It is one of the most interesting and relatable travelogues I have read.
May 20, 2020
The book contains stories about the author's travels in 15 chapters. The first eight chapters concentrate on highlighting only one aspect of an entire country such as literature in the UK, chocolates in Brussels, alcohol in Greece, vampires (fictional) in Romania. I feel that in order for a travel story to be complete it should include aspects of the culture, traditions, weather et cetera of the place. Hence these eight chapters felt incomplete to me.
Just when I was getting bored with the monotony of the narration, the next seven chapters proved to be different by incorporating all the above-mentioned aspects. There is a noticeable change in the way the author has expressed her experiences. I especially loved the narration of the safari in South Africa and the travel and transition of reality from Jordan to Israel.
It's definitely worth a read.
Just when I was getting bored with the monotony of the narration, the next seven chapters proved to be different by incorporating all the above-mentioned aspects. There is a noticeable change in the way the author has expressed her experiences. I especially loved the narration of the safari in South Africa and the travel and transition of reality from Jordan to Israel.
It's definitely worth a read.
August 24, 2014
Note :The review of this book was originally posted by me @ Readers' Muse
I fell I love with the cover the moment the publisher, Fingerprint Publishing sent us a mail for a review. I’ve always had a thing for travel. Unfortunately for me, I really don’t have the back balance or the time to travel. I travel only through the eyes and words of writers. To me, reading a book which takes me across borders is exhilarating than actually travelling. Naturally my expectations of this book with a beautiful glossy cover were high.
The summary promised me a journey of falling in love with globetrotting. The book exactly didn’t keep its promise up. The writer, Sarika, has this “repetitive” impulse of packing her bags and getting her passport stamped while her peers slog away to make a living. She narrates her travels across the globe. Each account typically starts with her “reasons” for visiting that particular country and ends with her heading back to Mumbai with a Visa Stamp in her passport and beautiful “ Black & White” pictures (Yeah! in the book it was all black and white!).
I really liked the Jerusalem account of her travel. The writer has beautifully conveyed her emotions of witnessing more than just a cultural difference between two parts of the same city. Religion should never be the reason for war, for all religions preach just the same ideology: the ideology of love. Sadly, humans don’t really get this simple truth. This hard hitting fact was beautifully portrayed by the writer in that Jerusalem account.
The English country and Jane Austen trip left me high and dry. I really can connect with the writer in that part of the travel. I truly have no words to describe that part of the book , for it was brilliant. I might be exaggerating a bit for I have a soft spot for anything related to English literature.
The chocolate trail account in Brussels made me go stark mad for not pursing my masters in Belgium in spite of having an opportunity to do so. Gosh I missed out on all chocolates! Not liking chocolate is such a sin. Glad the writer turned from a chocolate hater to chocolate tolerant person.
India isn’t exactly the best place for women travelling alone. That account of Kajuraho travel made me hang my head down in shame. Being a regular domestic traveller (Sadly work related), I have been there in similar situation feeling scared and hopeless. Hope this pathetic state improves someday.
In spite of majorly enjoying the book, I couldn’t connect with it for a rather simple reason. I really can’t get why the writer has this impulse to pack her bags and globetrot. I can explain why I have this impulse to pick up a book and read it until I complete it forgetting my daily chores (read sleeping and priming up!).
My other big complaint would be the pictures. Black and white images aren’t any good. Either there should have been color pictures or there shouldn’t have been pictures at all.
To sum it up, I simply envy the writer! Go girl! You rock!
VERDICT: Strictly only for people with an Itchy feet and an impulse to drop everything and pack up to abscond to some absurd place.
I fell I love with the cover the moment the publisher, Fingerprint Publishing sent us a mail for a review. I’ve always had a thing for travel. Unfortunately for me, I really don’t have the back balance or the time to travel. I travel only through the eyes and words of writers. To me, reading a book which takes me across borders is exhilarating than actually travelling. Naturally my expectations of this book with a beautiful glossy cover were high.
The summary promised me a journey of falling in love with globetrotting. The book exactly didn’t keep its promise up. The writer, Sarika, has this “repetitive” impulse of packing her bags and getting her passport stamped while her peers slog away to make a living. She narrates her travels across the globe. Each account typically starts with her “reasons” for visiting that particular country and ends with her heading back to Mumbai with a Visa Stamp in her passport and beautiful “ Black & White” pictures (Yeah! in the book it was all black and white!).
I really liked the Jerusalem account of her travel. The writer has beautifully conveyed her emotions of witnessing more than just a cultural difference between two parts of the same city. Religion should never be the reason for war, for all religions preach just the same ideology: the ideology of love. Sadly, humans don’t really get this simple truth. This hard hitting fact was beautifully portrayed by the writer in that Jerusalem account.
The English country and Jane Austen trip left me high and dry. I really can connect with the writer in that part of the travel. I truly have no words to describe that part of the book , for it was brilliant. I might be exaggerating a bit for I have a soft spot for anything related to English literature.
The chocolate trail account in Brussels made me go stark mad for not pursing my masters in Belgium in spite of having an opportunity to do so. Gosh I missed out on all chocolates! Not liking chocolate is such a sin. Glad the writer turned from a chocolate hater to chocolate tolerant person.
India isn’t exactly the best place for women travelling alone. That account of Kajuraho travel made me hang my head down in shame. Being a regular domestic traveller (Sadly work related), I have been there in similar situation feeling scared and hopeless. Hope this pathetic state improves someday.
In spite of majorly enjoying the book, I couldn’t connect with it for a rather simple reason. I really can’t get why the writer has this impulse to pack her bags and globetrot. I can explain why I have this impulse to pick up a book and read it until I complete it forgetting my daily chores (read sleeping and priming up!).
My other big complaint would be the pictures. Black and white images aren’t any good. Either there should have been color pictures or there shouldn’t have been pictures at all.
To sum it up, I simply envy the writer! Go girl! You rock!
VERDICT: Strictly only for people with an Itchy feet and an impulse to drop everything and pack up to abscond to some absurd place.
October 5, 2014
‘Bucket List of a Traveloholic’ is the first novel by the avid traveler Sarika Pandit. This is one unique book which will drag the hidden traveloholic among the readers and will make them see the places through the eyes of the author.
One look at the book and the readers knows that this book is not a fiction but a travel book. The name, the cover everything fits perfect in the genre of this book. Even the back cover features some interesting photographs, which will definitely make the readers sneak a peek inside the book.
I always thought that travel books are boring, just because they don’t have a story to tell. But this book turned my thoughts upside down and after completing this book, I became a fan of this genre.
Each and every chapter have a new story to tell and a new scene to show. The name of the chapters are make those all the more exotic. After reading first two chapters I turned the pages and started to discover through the index, which countries or how many cities I would visit through this book.
Being a non-fiction book the author haven’t care a lot on the narrating style and go on telling her experiences which I think the best thing of the book. One can feel by reading this that these incidents are true and these words are original. There are cities which we have seen in movies, read in books and there are few which are not. From learning Spanish in Spain, to trying chocolate in Brussels, from testing alcohol in Greece to the wonder country Slovenia, each and every chapter is so beautiful that the readers can literally feel the atmosphere. I envy the boss of Sarika and her luck of finding the perfect partner every time. My favorite chapters or places was United Kingdome and Florence. The clicked pictures at the end of every chapters completes everything.
I loved the way the author described each secnes with perfect amount of humor but I couldn’t deny the fact that there is few chapters also which are not that interesting. May be the place was not so interesting or can be described in a better way. Apart from those few boring chapters this book is roller coaster ride and the more important thing is this book will entertain everyone without caring for age.
Final Words: Being my first in the genre of travel this book made me a fan of this genre. I felt if I could see more places through the eyes of the author, after completing the book. This book will definitely drag out the traveloholic inside you.
For more reviews click on: www.timidfingers.blogspot.in
One look at the book and the readers knows that this book is not a fiction but a travel book. The name, the cover everything fits perfect in the genre of this book. Even the back cover features some interesting photographs, which will definitely make the readers sneak a peek inside the book.
I always thought that travel books are boring, just because they don’t have a story to tell. But this book turned my thoughts upside down and after completing this book, I became a fan of this genre.
Each and every chapter have a new story to tell and a new scene to show. The name of the chapters are make those all the more exotic. After reading first two chapters I turned the pages and started to discover through the index, which countries or how many cities I would visit through this book.
Being a non-fiction book the author haven’t care a lot on the narrating style and go on telling her experiences which I think the best thing of the book. One can feel by reading this that these incidents are true and these words are original. There are cities which we have seen in movies, read in books and there are few which are not. From learning Spanish in Spain, to trying chocolate in Brussels, from testing alcohol in Greece to the wonder country Slovenia, each and every chapter is so beautiful that the readers can literally feel the atmosphere. I envy the boss of Sarika and her luck of finding the perfect partner every time. My favorite chapters or places was United Kingdome and Florence. The clicked pictures at the end of every chapters completes everything.
I loved the way the author described each secnes with perfect amount of humor but I couldn’t deny the fact that there is few chapters also which are not that interesting. May be the place was not so interesting or can be described in a better way. Apart from those few boring chapters this book is roller coaster ride and the more important thing is this book will entertain everyone without caring for age.
Final Words: Being my first in the genre of travel this book made me a fan of this genre. I felt if I could see more places through the eyes of the author, after completing the book. This book will definitely drag out the traveloholic inside you.
For more reviews click on: www.timidfingers.blogspot.in
June 18, 2014
Throughout the book, I was travelling with the author –savouring the delicacies of each place, mesmerized by some of her unique experiences and meeting with people, roaming around in the streets of foreign lands & experiencing all the other good, bad and the ugly stuff. Though the book was an easy read, I preferred reading one chapter at a time – taking in the details slowly. I simply could not rush to the next one without soaking in the variety as well as uniqueness that each destination offered. I must confess that I learnt many new things about some countries.JThe author uses a smooth and easy language with humour thrown in now and then making it a pleasant read.
?Final words – Must read! It will definitely make you come up with your own bucket list and if you already have one, you will surely add a few more places to it! :)
Read full review and author interview here - http://dreamzandclouds.wordpress.com/...
Sarika Pandit
?Final words – Must read! It will definitely make you come up with your own bucket list and if you already have one, you will surely add a few more places to it! :)
Read full review and author interview here - http://dreamzandclouds.wordpress.com/...
Sarika Pandit
March 1, 2017
Excellent work from Sarika Pandit to dig out the travelling craze from one!! Must read for travelholics!
February 9, 2016
What a delightful read! This book was an absolute joy to read right from start to finish. Sarika, with her flair for humour and her passion for travel pulls you right into this refreshing and inspiring account of her travel adventures. I am not a traveler myself, but I picked up this book because the blurb sounded so interesting and by the end of it, I was quite tempted to set off on an adventure of my own. The author has done a fabulous job of bringing alive every destination, every chapter almost as if you are experiencing it first hand. I particularly loved the chapters on Israel, Greece, the literary trail through UK - what makes the book unique is the author's personal journey and evolution as reaches her final destination. Loved this book!
March 1, 2015
If you love traveling then this is the book to read. Sarika starts with a simple dream that she wants all the pages of her passport to be stamped. She recounts all her travel experiences in this book.
Sarika visited most of the countries in Europe and also went to Israel. I liked her Greece and the United Kingdom experience. Her experience in India was crazy and it brings out the persistent question of women's safety. This book is a light read.
Sarika visited most of the countries in Europe and also went to Israel. I liked her Greece and the United Kingdom experience. Her experience in India was crazy and it brings out the persistent question of women's safety. This book is a light read.
February 1, 2016
I really wanted to like this book. I promise. I mean, it's called 'Bucket List of a Traveloholic' for crying out loud... two of my favourite words in the English language right there. However, I came away feeling sorely disappointed.
I expected a journey of self-discovery.. inspiring anecdotes.. and the likes. But apart from a few quips here and there (and a moderately well-written account of a trip to Isreal), I felt that the overall writing was insipid and at times contrived. Meh.
I expected a journey of self-discovery.. inspiring anecdotes.. and the likes. But apart from a few quips here and there (and a moderately well-written account of a trip to Isreal), I felt that the overall writing was insipid and at times contrived. Meh.
February 9, 2016
Once I started this book, I just couldn't stop reading it until I had turned the last page. I finished this book in a day and a half - it is so addictive. The author's passion for travel leaps out from every page and by the end of it, you are filled partly with envy and partly with the inspiration to travel just like her.
February 26, 2016
I loved this book...it was such a fun, breezy read. I started it on a Saturday and I kept reading till I finished it that same day. I cant remember the last time I stayed hooked from the first page to the last. I especially love the parts on the literary trail, Jordan, Israel and Greece. I think the author is a brave woman to put her story out and the story is very inspiring. Kudos!
July 16, 2014
2.5
The original review of this book is posted on my blog...
To read the original review of this book, click here...
The original review of this book is posted on my blog...
To read the original review of this book, click here...
July 29, 2014
Enjoyed reading “bucket list of the traveloholic” – Wish I could act as the author as she did post Morocco trip though doubt if I have the courage, will , skill and all the rest that it takes to act so! :O+
February 2, 2016
This was such a lovely, fun book and so inspiring! Just like the back of the book says, Sarika really makes you want to dig out your passport and travel to al the places she has been. The author has also brought alive every chapter with humour, insight and breezy language. This one is a must read!
May 27, 2014
A very light read. I really loved her sense of humour and the style of writing. Hope to read a sequel sometime soon.
August 8, 2014
Loved the book and the style of writing. Felt like just packing my bags and taking off.
April 22, 2015
Reading this book was joyful ride along with Sarika. However, I found some of her anecdotes fictional but still I feel some amount of fiction is needed to make the book a little spicy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews